The Phoenix Deal
by SomethingBeautifullyBrutal
Summary: Ended before it began, his life shall be lived in a different place under different circumstances. He needs to discover what it means to live, love and feel.
1. Made of mistakes

In the darkest corridors of a decayed hospital, blood stained hands clutched on to a lifeless bed which bore the corpse of an ex-lover and the crying stain of mistake. The child was looked at in anger, the blood stained hands throwing the bed to the side, the lifeless body rolling pathetically on to the tiled floor, nurses and doctors hurrying towards the infant which had landed helplessly on his mothers limp form, rolling on to the cold tiles.

The cause of this mayhem walked hurriedly towards the exit, forcing all that stood in his way to be thrown across the hallway, tears of anger and a look of disgust painted thick on his features.

Another figure stood above the baby's form, now presented in a small cot with the smallest black blanket wrapped around it. It smiled the smallest smile possible and looked towards the doctor that stood confused at the wreckage.

The figure grinned and cocked his head

"Master will be wanting this delivered to him personally, and any objection to such will be treated as high treason, as it was no request, but a command" the effeminate figure flicked a lock of a golden hair from his eyes and turned to follow his master, waving an apathetic goodbye to the staff who remained stunned and in awe of the situation.

A forehead wet with sweat lay crestfallen on an office desk, the smallest sobs echoed in the room, as a fist feel upon the table top like iron, shattering every silence between his breaths. The silhouette leant on the broken mans door frame, his face void of emotion. He slowly dragged a lock of hair behind his ear and made his presence known

"Brother"

The sobbing man stopped his breathing, his fist being dragged across his face to dry his eyes, his posture regaining as his returned to a sat up position, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips quivering slightly.

"Yashamaru..." His voice stated, cracking slightly "It is most rude to interrupt a man during times of vulnerability"

"I apologise brother. I just wanted to inform you that the child will be brought to the house within five to seven days" His voice did not alter nor did his posture, the man at the door frame remained calm and awaited his masters reaction.

Two fists fell at speed on to the desk as the tall man stood himself up, his eyes widened in anger, his lips parted to show his teeth

"Why would I want that...That...Monster, that murderer living in my house?! He is nothing but a bad omen towards this house AND the country. He shall drive me to madness just by existing. Kill him. Immediately."

"Unfortunately brother, you must have an heir to the throne. I highly doubt you will ever remarry after this incident, you will never find someone like her again." Yashamarus' brow furrowed into a scowl at the leaders lack of forethought and how his emotions had overcome his common sense.

His brothers head dropped as he slunk back into his chair, his head propped up by a single hand, elbow resting on the table. "Then you must take over my place when the time comes"

"Don't be ridiculous. Although the people of our country know that we call each other brother, they are too aware that we are not related by blood to call me their leader if I were to ever take over, if time comes to pass in such a manner. You must keep the child lest you want to create unrest and controversy in the towns."

The man at the desk rest his face in both of his hands before closing his dark eyes. He pondered for moments until looking again into the eyes of his brother. He nodded and brushed him away with the smallest wave of his hand, being too drained from the day. His brother simply nodded and left.

With a sigh the man stood himself up from his desk and walked over to his window, opening so the gentlest breeze blew in, sweeping his reddish brown hair across his eyes. A single tear drew itself from his eye again and he lowered his head to wipe it away. As he opened his eyes once again, he noted the Crystal vase on his windowsill

Inside the vase here was a small glass rose, which glistened in the moonlight that shone through the darkness of the night sky. The rose was beautifully carved and contained patches of multicoloured sand inside it which seemed to swirl in a whirlpool pattern.

He smiled at the rose and took it out of the vase, investigating it fully, as if stuck in a nostalgic trance. He opened his desk drawer and withdrew a silk cloth, wrapping it around the rose.

The heartbroken man walked slowly through the sandy streets of his home town and basked in the lonely moonlight, oil lit torch in his hand and stared at the stars that were dotted around the smallest clouds. The gentle wind danced around him and blew through his dark brown locks, whispering regrets into his ear as he looked at the sand his sandals kicked up with every step.

He looked to his right to see the hospital that looked almost derelict, stood on its last legs and he sighed, slinking inside the building

Sneaking his way past the nurses and doctors, the man found himself standing in front of the sleeping child that had only hours before been presented to him. He sighed and frown solemnly at the infant, gently taking him into his cold hands, sneaking his way back out the front door.

The wind now danced and meandered around both of them, father and son as they moved closer towards the horizon, far from the gates of the city until they reached an oasis.

The man sat in full lotus position on a small island inside the oasis, the child laying quietly on his lap.

The man sighed and took out the small glass rose, staring at with a slight smile before placing it inside the child's hands, causing it to open it eyes slightly. The man looked in awe at the child's irises, unable to believe it. The two looked into each other's eyes, the pale green shade calming the man down, his new found smile lulling the baby back to sleep

"I can't believe it" He whispered, dropping his head with a sad smile "He has her eyes"

He stared at the child that lay in peace with his lovers rose in its' hands and smiled.

"Karura...I'm so sorry. Due to my needs and mistakes, you're alone up there in Kami's paradise, and I'm left with a constant reminder of what I've done. Let Kami know that I am fully aware of what I've done, let him know that I pray and beg for his forgiveness for I'd rather meet the devil himself as a broken man then not let you know that I'm sorry!" the child flinched as the man rested it inside his lap, grabbing his lamp and raising it above his head.

"Let the heavens know that I cannot stare into the child's eyes without being broken and killed inside again! Tell them that when this child is thought of, your death resonates in my mind! So I beg the heavens they let me join you one more time my Karura. My angel, my light...May I not have to be haunted by what I've done, what I've lost. And I pray that the heavens let this child be reborn in a land where it may be loved, where it will be unaware of the monster I made it, or the monster that made it."

Tears dripped down like rain on to the child's face, but it did not wake up, only flinching slightly.

"I will never regret this single decision." He stated in a strong loud voice before breaking the lamp between his hands, oil and flames engulfing the two figures, a bright orange light staining the sky covered in dark smoke. The man sat in silence as the child cried as he died slowly, the tall man hugging his child close

"Aishiteru. Gaara."

A bright white light illuminated the sky for a split second before falling to earth in a beam, curving at the face of the earth and shooting through the fire, dragging the souls of the burning shadows into the heavens

The child opened its eyes and cried, reaching out and writhing, as it gasped and sobbed. A tall man with long white hair who had a pale complexion gently lifted the baby and rested its against his shoulder, bobbing up and down gently to soothe its' cry, tutting in its ear softly until its fell back asleep.

The white haired man sat down and placed the child on his lap and sighed, pinching his brow gently with his finger and thumb

"To be stricken down before even being able to see, to feel and remember the true extremities of the world, suffocated by selfishness blinded by love. To be painted as an idol of regret and remorse, a symbol of hatred that was also love. A monster for a monster...Truly your life is already a pity." He picked the child up and kissed it gently on the forehead, the prints of his lips stained on the child's forehead in black ink which dripped and swirled until creating a pattern

"This is what you are. You are love." The man smiled "You are the selfish and unforgiving love that created you, the mark on your forehead as black as the hearts that bore you, making you incomplete... You have no heart for how could a heart work with no love? You remain as the ashes that you were left as." Slowly, the man relinquished his grip on the child, making him fall swiftly into the ground, his head splitting into a pile of ash and sand.

"But when you find that love, that meaning that starts you living and breathing, you will rise like the phoenix from your ashes, skin will crawl on to your sandy layer, blood will race through you and your heart will beat again. And when it does, this mark will turn as red as the blood that pumps through your heart, and shine as much as your love does."

He hovered his hand above the ashes, making them float and swirl into the form of the small infant, crystallising and creating a glass form, sand crawling over it to make a small skin like layer.

"When you awake you will be in a land that is unaware of your features, though not even I know where. Nor do I know who will find you. Your destiny has been made anew, good luck, Gaara."


	2. A place to live

A pristine white moon which hung alone in a starless sky gazed over the silent wood, watching, waiting for something to happen. It shone seemingly intently on the trees below, searching for a note of interest. The solemn song of the wind sounded softly as it danced and meandered through the trees, tickling the leaves with its' breezes, clinging onto them intoxicatingly, seductively entrancing them to the point of stealing a few leaves, leading them along its' trail, only to slowly let it fall onto the unforgiving dirt.

The dew drops rested on the bent blades of grass which covered the forest floor, glistening so slightly in the moonlight as the cold gusts of wind gently brushed across the ground, dew drops sliding off the grass and invisibly flying through the air, hanging on the wind.

The clouds dragged themselves slowly across the empty sky, leaving behind them a trail of disappearing white, the cold winds pushing against them, slowing them down to a crawl. The tips of the tallest trees brushed against the gales, reaching desperately for the clouds, their trunks stretched out to their fullest in hope to grab at the coldest air, the purest of water vapour to caress their leaves and branches with a frozen touch.

The clouds gently released a soft pour of rain, as night came to its' darkest and the blinding darkness filled all with a sense of isolation, the eerie silence deafening all of those who weren't there, invisible monsters roaming the landscape. No one whispered. No one moved, no bird sang, no animal called and even the wind seemed to still. All that was heard was the softest patter of water droplets falling upon the flying leaves of the trees, dripping off them to land upon the cold hard land, slowly sinking in.

A single star faded into view, relieving the moon of it's' loneliness. They gazed upon the forest beneath them in unison, their light creating an Illuminated path between the gaps of the trees shadows. The star seemed to momentarily pulse, but only in the time it takes to blink an eye, a silver light ebbing round it, in the vast endless sea of space; like a pebble, thrown into a lake, leaving a small ripple around it.

The sky was a dark violet canvas with darkened grey clouds lazily painted on, dripping sloppily, slowly down on to the landscape below. The rain grew from a drizzle to a down pour, seemingly agitated by the silence after its arrival. The strength of the falling rain grew and grew until finally, the wind was revitalised and picked itself up from its' dormant state to battle the down pour. The strong winds carried the rain at a forty five degree angle, crashing against the trunks of trees, crashing violently against them.

The moon continued to glare its' attention in the form of its' bright light down upon the woodland, focusing intently upon the battle. The wind toyed with the water, tossing it around in small circular motions, as it continued to fall down with destructive intent. The once large grey masses of vapour dwindled down to merely small drips of ink on the dark violet spread and with a heavy sigh of gales, the clouds continued their journey to see, observe and battle many more terrains.

The solitary star shone more brightly, giving off 3 agitated ripples of a dark red light, allowing the scene to return to normality, almost as if the cause of the nights events were its' pulses.

The cold air continued to dance and meander elegantly across the forest, a single rabbit peeking out its' head from a log, torn down and broken it its prime, its hollowed shell perfect protection from the storms and that which once was a woodpeckers front door, the perfect entrance to its burrow. From each of their burrows and locations, the animals emerged and sat in unison, watching the single star as it gently, slowly faded back into the dark background.

As the animals stared together at the night sky, the softest sound of the stars signal reaching their ears at last, a single creature crawled the forest floor, looking for a new prey, its dark orange hair hidden in the night, the smallest amount of smoke visible in the moons light emitting from its skin and its ears twitching from the stars signal. The smallest Amberfox walked low, avoiding debris of the forest which could bring any attention to any unaware creature.

Its cold electric yellow irises glared through the darkness at the distracted animals to spot a small creature unknown to it, gleaming with murder intent and flickering hunger as the tiniest of flame like tufts spiked off of its fur. It readied itself to pounce only to be distracted by the sound of a single horses hooves scraping across the woodland floor, the crackling of the leaves and the abrupt snapping of twigs.

The small Amberfox's ears perked up as it examined the intruder and saboteur of its dinner plans. A mighty shire stood towering before the inferior animal, Its mud stained horse shoes rusted to the point of being unbearable to wear, it's shivering feet hesitantly placing war worn metal on to the soft earth, only to have a sharp shooting of pain travel up its body, its eyes of a dying pale brown quivering with every shot of pain endured. It uttered no sound, just seemed to sigh as it slowly dragged itself through the forest, its shaggy light brown hair of a medium length stained with multiple shades of debris and rain water clung to it desperately, dripping down its body, falling softly to the drenched earth below. Tied lazily around its belly were two leather straps, keeping neatly, if not firmly enough, a worn leather padded seat, its metal foot rests kept on only by a rusted screw, shot through metal and fading leather.

The rider of the mighty creature looked down at the smallest fox beside him and smiled, shaking his wet hair and scratching his head

"What'cha doing boy? Ol' Danu here is in a right state, we need to get her to a stable right away and rest her up" The rider flung himself off the large shire, laughing to himself, stroking the horse's mane. "I guess me riding ya doesn't help, does it?" holding the saddle to pull the horse along the route. The rider stood at about 6 foot 4, with Shaggy dark brown that only just reached his eyes, his eyes being of a dark jade green.

The fox shook itself in apathy, glancing over once again at the small foreign creature in the rain that the forest creatures were fascinated by, them holding no fear of it, having no knowledge of its scent or look. The rider followed its' eye line, his dark green eyes widening at the sight he beheld

He ran over quickly to the small child that lay shivering and weak in the rain, too cold to move or even cry, his small fingers bright red and shivering, reaching out for something.

The tall brunette unclothed his torso, wrapping the small child in his working sleeveless robe, attempting to get him warmer. As the child was cupped and easily held in the large mans arm, he placed the small child's hand between his fingers, rubbing them gently to warm them, only to break his hand into pieces of sand.

The man gasped and almost dropped the small child out of shock but quickly caught him. His eyes grew more curious as the sand swirled around the child's wrist before forming another hand, his small fingers moving slightly.

He stood in awe, the wind growing still as he looked up towards the path. He hurriedly re-mounted his shire, the child held firmly inside his arm, wrapped in the light blue robe.

"Sorry Danu, You're gonna have to run like a bitch, cos this feller's on his way out." The horse huffed and shook his head as fluffed his mane, hitting his hoof gently on the floor. The rider turned his attention towards the fox and sighed "Looks like the hunt's over tonight, Kippa"

The fox growled low before sprinting off through the bushes and paths, making the rider sigh before shaking his head. He patted the horses side, signalling it to sprint after it, the horse attempting to run its' fastest.

The rider steadied himself on the racing horse as one arm held the small child and the other shielded his face from the onslaught of branches that slapped and scraped his skin, marking and cutting him, blood running thick down the shirtless mans arm.

Along the horizon, the beam of lights shone, creating an aura of warmth around a simple, cosy looking village that was surrounded by trees, mist thick along the tree tops which touched the cloud.

The rider smiled as his horse slowed down, retreating within its own small home, a small stable made of a simple stone structure with brick walls, lit by torchlight.

The man, walked up to his small abode and opened the door slowly, a blond haired woman who was rough five and half foot turning to look at him from her place at the table, dropping the plate she intended to set on the table onto the floor.

She hurried over to him with a distraught look, gasping and panicking

"Satoshi! What have you done? Why are you bleeding? And shirtless?" Her questions came out at a million miles an hour, being almost incoherent. Satoshi merely smiled at this and planted a kiss on her lips gently, silencing her.

"I have a gift for you." He stated with a small grin.

"A gift?" she asked incredulously, a small look of scepticism "What kind of gifts brings you back to my house like that?"

"This little bugger" he replied, removing the robe that covered the child from his arm. The woman gasped and held even more gasps in with her mouth, looking at the child

"Where did you find it?" She half shouted due to surprise

"3 miles deep into the hunting forests. We're at least 20 miles from the next village so... whoever abandoned the blighter was hell bent on it either dying or never seeing them again."

The blonde frowned and looked at the child "How could you abandon a child? How jaded must you be?" She took the baby into her arms and examined it. "It's barely even got any hair... as if it were just born." She cradled the child and it opened its aquamarine eyes, making her gasp and smile

"This little boy... is beautiful." She rested the baby's head on her shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling its warmth on her. Satoshi smiled at the sight then frowned as he saw something odd. He stepped forward and grabbed something that was hanging out of the small child's diaper. He examined it closer, humming in confusion

This humming caught the attention of his wife who looked at him and noticed the wet letter, furrowing her brow. "What's that?"

"I'm not sure..." he responded "I've just found it on the child. Though I'm sure that wasn't there earlier."

"You were probably just being a typical male and not seeing everything that's in front of you. What does it say?"

He gently ripped open the soggy envelope and peeled the letter open. The letter stated such.

Dear Satoshi and Midori.

Though the complete circumstances cannot be explained, nor can the reasons I know your names or that you've got a hold of this letter, please take the manner of this notice very seriously.

The child you now have is called Gaara. He is a child that holds misfortune and despair deep in his soul, his very life being created by a love that was misguided

I have made it your job to show this child the right path and show him what the world can be

To show him what love is and create his life again, to make his heart feel real love, and to help him find true love.

Yours sincerely, with great expectations

"...With great expectations...? Who? He sounds like a right top class. Could he be a noble?" The rider's wife asked, not completely understanding the letter. "Needless to say a child needs love. But what the rest of it meant I've no clue" she looked at the sleeping child again and smiled

"But what does it matter anyway? It's like this is a gift from the heavens. We finally have our own little boy. A little Gaara"


	3. Be careful what you wish for

The brightest of the sun's rays drowned the room, filling it with warmth and a calming atmosphere, overwhelming a small child as he lay on the wooden floorboards, smiling to himself quietly, letting the sunlight kiss his pale being.

The sun had made its' presence known to the world, making the workers in the fields smile in happiness at the light, the children sing and play in laughter over a thousand times and more, the moon had filled the lights vacancy with starlight and peace, overwhelming the cold landscape with a nightlight that made the treetops luminescent and bright yet the forest floors invisible for the same amount of time.

The days had seemed to pass them by like minutes and the months like days. The smallest hand on the grandfather clock that stood watch over the smallest dining table crept slowly but surely over its destined location, bringing on the days and nights.

As the rains ended, the northern winds meandering through the clouds to transform them into gentle angels which flew to the earth to kiss its skin, winter took its course and held the earth in a cold embrace both beautiful and brutal. The masses of white which held the earth closely slowly faded and burrowed itself in the crust of the earth, spreading itself throughout it and giving birth to the green, the trees that which were once stripped clothing itself in a small shade of green and spring began.

The sun held its pedestal in the clear blue sky, the days stretched out and the warmth flooded the days, the paths and fields painted with splatters of brightly coloured flowers and trees, the animals and children discovering new colours and fun activities, letting the cool grass embrace the gaps between their toes and fingers, their smiles as long lasting as the days of summer.

The clouds returned to the skies, filling the once empty canvas with detail and shading, the rains returned to wreak havoc on the trees and the fields, playing with the harsh winds to strip the land of its' beautiful shade of green and the tallest trees of its warm foliage, death taking over the land. And thus, autumn began once more.

The young child, as these cycles continued, grew more and more conscious of the world and how it changed, and as he grew older, the faster these cycles began to seem. He was intrigued by the changes of the world, how everything seemed so strong and yet so weak at the same time, that everything had its opposite and equal.

So he stared at the clouds which lazily drifted along the sky and smiled to himself as the sun stared at him over the shoulder of the cloud, squinting slightly as it blinded him.

His mother shuffled backwards across the doorframe of the empty room, broom in hand as she thrust the dust and debris into a pile which slowly increased as travelled further. She caught sight of him and looked at his body splayed out on the floor and shook her head

"I'm trying to get this house tidy, y'know? You constantly layin' everywhere makes it look untidy." She scolded, though playfully as a smirk grew on her lips.

The small child looked up, dark crimson hair covering his eyes slightly as he propped himself up with his elbows. It had been 10 cycles of the cosmic pattern since he had been found.

His glimmering aquamarine eyes bathed in the pools of black that circled his eyes from many a sleepless night that he endured, wondering what everything was, the sky, the night, the day and most importantly, what he was.

It had been 7 cycles of incredibly patient and safe living as his parents took every step to stop the small boy from getting himself in bad situations before he knew of his disposition.

A late night and hazy stumble down the stairs left him seeing black as the sand and ashes that held him in form slid across the floorboards and steps, covering them. Within a few seconds, the sand and ashes rose from their place and held themselves back together.

The sand gradually built him up from the feet upwards. His knees once made, quickly hit the floor, his newly formed hands grabbing for his head, which wasn't there. His body was ebbing and his body was weak. The sand crawled further up him, slowly recreating his head. He swiftly opened his mouth and screamed

Since that day, the child was confused, being told that no other person could do such a thing. His mother called him special, but he questioned whether or not such a thing was good.

"Mother" he replied "I have nothing else to do." She looked at him and smiled warmly

"You could make yourself useful and pack your fathers bag, he'll be going to the market place soon and selling the pelts and bits he gets hunting for our dinner."

He stood himself up and looked through the window once more to gaze at the trees and fields, longing to know of the houses and people that resided only minutes down the gravel path

"Mother," He began once more, getting a small grunt as note of acknowledgement "When can I go... out?"

His mother exhaled slowly through her nose and smiled sadly at him

"You know why you're not allowed out there. It's far too cruel a place for my fragile angel. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if you were hurt..." She grew sad and her voice dropped causing the child to look at her and frown gently

He dragged his feet over to his mother and held her tightly, getting an embrace in return before walking to the back door and opening it.

The gates that surrounded the house were high and flat, completely unclimbable and impenetrable by non destructive methods. He followed the path constructed of misshapen slabs of different coloured rock to a small wooden house, its doorframe spewing small amounts of hay.

He walked through the door and smiled in return to the small hmmph a large brown shire gave him upon his arrival

"Good morning Danu." He stroked the large horse gently and continued past it, opening a small moulding cabinet, grabbing a leather shoulder bag and dragging it towards another cabinet, filling the bag with smaller pelts such as rabbit pelts. He hooked it onto Danu's worn seat and stroked the horse again.

The sound of footsteps got louder and louder causing Gaara to turn his head towards the door, a large well build silhouette blocking the light before igniting the wick of a candle, revealing Satoshi, smiling slightly.

"Is everything packed up and ready to go?"  
"The only missing things are your coin purse and hunting bag." The older man smiled at this and ruffled the small boys hair

"I won't be needing my hunting bag" He chuckled slightly before looking at the ground distantly, his brow furrowing slightly "Your mother says you've shown interest in going outside for a bit" he looked at the child and rose an eyebrow, the small child looking up at him, not knowing how to react.

"Y..yeah I have..." He stuttered unsure of how to sound.

"hmm..." The large man replied, cradling his chin with his hand "What do you say I take you out to the town market with me today? So you can see what it's like outside?"  
The child opened his mouth in shock before grinning uncontrollably and pouncing on his father, making him laugh and push him back after a while.

"Is that a yes?" He questioned laughing, getting an energetic nod from his son "Okay but there are a few ground rules; one: you do not leave my sight, two: you do as I say, three: do not touch anything. Got it?" The boy again nodded energetically, "Okay then." He smiled brightly and put his hands on his hips. "Let's go"

He picked up the small child and placed him on the horse, making sure he grabbed on tightly to the reins before tugging at the horse gently, guiding it through to the gate and leading it to the village down the gravel path.

For all the nights he refused to fall asleep, and wouldn't close his eyes. If he started to dream, he would fear he'd fade away, and his eyelids would never rise. He would disappear into this wooden deathbed, the next time that he would lower his head and would only see what he wanted to see, be what he wanted to be, and he would be free from the form that constricted him.

Every night through his dusty window and whispers to the glass, that one day, he'd be just like them, and he could live at last. Long had he prayed for bones to be inside of him, skin to cover his frame, lungs, for him to breathe and to have a working, thinking brain.

Stared at the black trousers which covered his legs, he had no motivation to move, but still he thought about the outside.

And now he felt slightly paraded as his father was greeted with multiple waves and greetings as he and his horse walked slowly down the paved way, his son absorbing all that was around him.

He smiled and gaped in awe as he saw people and animals, children and pets walk around freely, laughing and shouting, talking and doing thins he'd never seen before. Some were dancing, creating sounds with odd objects that they hit and plucked at, some sucked on burning sticks and other scolded them for doing so.

It was all very peculiar yet so enticing. He wanted to see more and learn more. Why were they hitting those things and burning sticks?

The horse halted and Gaara turned to watch his father negotiate with a strange man over prices for his pelts before being distracted by a small thing of many colours flutter past his vision. Intrigued to a great extent, he shuffled off the horse and followed it through the small crowd of the market place, causing the horse to jump up on its hind legs slightly, grabbing the attention of Satoshi.

He looked quizzically at the horse before noticing the distinct lack of child on the animals back. He gasped and looked around frantically before catching a glimpse of the small redhead running off into the distance.

Quickly, he ran off after him, slurry of curse words leaving his mouth incoherently.

Gaara grabbed for the butterfly that lay itself on the small dandelion that stood proudly in the middle of the large paved area, causing the butterfly to fly high and far away. The child continued to stare at, oblivious of the many people that were around him.

He turned and bumped into a figure, which stopped to stare at his small obstacle.

The figure was tall and muscular, bearing scars all over his body which was dressed in black khaki trousers and an unbuttoned black waistcoat. He wore a black headband with a strange symbol engraved in metal on it, the symbol being difficult to read from the angle Gaara was at

The man looked at him with a hard face and scowled, his teeth showing as he snarled

"Any reason you got in my way, child?" Gaara simply stared in response before hesitantly shaking his head "Is this truly how you treat guests to your village?" His anger and voice rose, grabbing Gaaras neck and lifting him off the floor, their faces now inches apart. "Speak, unless you want me and my disciples to destroy this trench you call a home." Gaara remained speechless and merely stuttered an incoherent sentence, causing the man to snarl and spit in anger "Useless! You're not even worthy to live."

Satoshi had rushed through the now collected crowd who watched in fear and awe as the man handled the child roughly, scaring all the people there.

He pushed his way through to the front and tears reached his eyes as he saw the man's hand clench over the small child's frail neck.


End file.
